


The Art of not Falling (in sludgy lake water)

by hopelessly_me



Category: Marvel
Genre: Clint picks on Tony, Fluff, Kayaking, M/M, Tony hates lake water, amused Clint, extended weekend fun, hesitant Tony, lazy day, sediment is squishy, tony tries a new thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:41:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23945620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessly_me/pseuds/hopelessly_me
Summary: Tony had made the ultimate mistake- he allowed Clint to pick where they were going for an extended weekend. Now he was stuck trying to get in a kayak without falling.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Tony Stark
Comments: 11
Kudos: 42





	The Art of not Falling (in sludgy lake water)

“You are doing a wonderful job, honey,” Clint called, sounding a little too cheerful to conceal the smugness of it. Tony didn’t even have to look up to know there was a smirk on his face.

“Don’t patronize me,” Tony replied.

“Another half hour and maybe you’ll be sunk down to your shins in lake sludge.”

“Clint, I swear to-”

The sound of water being kicked up made Tony lift his eyes from the bright red and green kayak. Clint beached his kayak and climbed out with far too much grace, and no Tony wasn’t jealous. Clint waded over to Tony, crossing his arms and looking amused. Tony attempted to settle himself into a bored gaze of sorts and mimicked Clint’s body language.

Tony was the one who suggested that they should take an extended weekend, and he had made the ultimate mistake of telling Clint he could pick what they did. Clint ran with the idea; he had rented them a cabin just over the border in Massachusetts, declaring their long weekend just a little longer because he wanted to make it a road trip. It was rustic, maybe a little on the cute side, not that Tony was going to tell Clint, and fairly secluded.

“You are the one who said you wanted to try new things,” Clint said, reaching out and tugging at Tony’s belt loops. “And this? This is definitely new for you.” His fingers trailed up, gripping Tony’s hips with an easy smile.

“I had it,” Tony protested.

“Of course you did, sweetheart,” Clint murmured before he kissed Tony’s forehead. “Mhhh, shorter than normal. Sinking.” Tony shoved him and Clint laughed, stumbling back a few steps. “Just let me help you into your kayak.”

“I think I heard my-”

“Negative, but nice try. Your phone did not ring, I turned it off,” Clint informed Tony, all proud of himself. He walked to the other side of the kayak and braced it against his shins at ankle deep water before he held his hands out. “I’ve got all day, Tony. You manage to get in this kayak and appease me for, I don’t know, an hour- the sooner you can get back inside to your toys and the things you are more comfortable with.”

“Who said I’m not comfortable doing this?” Tony asked. Clint gave him his best bored expression before he held his hands out. “Okay, but only because I am proving you wrong that I am okay with this,” Tony said, holding onto Clint’s arm and pulling his feet out. The feeling of his feet popping out from the murky bottom made Tony’s skin prickle and his nose wrinkle. He wished he had kept his water shoes on, but the moment he walked outside in them Clint had started laughing.

“Oh, no doubt you are perfectly comfortable doing this,” Clint replied, barely able to keep himself from laughing. Tony lifted his leg up and set his foot down, but the kayak swayed and his hips jerked to keep his balance. “Tony, just do it in a swift, smooth motion. You are overthinking this. Put your foot in and sit, then pull your other foot in.” Clint held onto Tony’s arms, a less playful smile on his face as he tried to encourage his boyfriend.

“Question- how often do you teach people how to do this?”

Clint rolled his eyes. “Just stop thinking and do it before I purposely dump you and this kayak.” Tony didn’t like the threat, knowing full well that it was something Clint would actually do. Tony was trying to  _ not _ smell like lake water all day.

It took a minute before Tony was perched on the seat and in a comfortable position as Clint held onto the kayak for him. How the hell Clint fit in one of these things, Tony couldn’t figure out; he felt like he barely fit in it. Clint grinned and stuffed a life jacket into the space between his legs and winked. 

“Alright, grab the paddle,” Clint instructed and Tony followed through. Clint pulled the kayak out smoothly and Tony was  _ not _ focused on his biceps as they worked. “You remember what I said on how to use this?” he asked, going out to his waist.

“It’s a paddle.”

“It’s a kayak and yet,” Clint mused, letting the words trail off. “Don’t go all crazy and topple over while I get back into my kayak, alright?” Tony gave him an exasperated sigh and Clint kissed him. Tony thought briefly about commenting on the gritty taste of lake water on Clint’s lips before he thought better of it.

Tony stared straight ahead as he heard Clint wade back to his kayak. He could hear the water splash, and was soon greeted by gentle waves under his kayak. After a minute, Clint had his kayak level with Tony’s a few feet away.

“If you splash me or tip me over, there will be revenge,” Tony warned.

“What do you mean?” Clint asked innocently enough, reaching his paddle out and knocking Tony’s kayak, making it teeter. Tony dropped his paddle and held onto the sides, his eyes widening. Clint laughed and picked the paddle up and held it out. “You have got to calm down, Tones. I am not going to tip you, and I’m not going to splash you on purpose. But babe- it’s water.”

“It’s brown sledge,” Tony argued.

“That’s called, what’s that fancy scientific term you smart people use?” Clint asked. “Sediment?”

“You know, I really hate when you get all cocky,” Tony pointed out as he took the paddle gingerly. Clint waggled his eyebrows. “It’s wet.”

“News at eleven, water is wet… or is it?” Clint asked with a smirk before he used his paddle to push off from Tony, rocking the kayak again. “Come on, live a little, babe.”

Tony tried to remain calm as his kayak slowly stilled. He watched Clint as he paddled, appreciating the back view as his arms and shoulders worked. Maybe, just maybe, Tony could get used to this if he was going to have that view every time.

It took some getting used to, but soon enough Clint and Tony were both in the middle of the lake, the late morning sun quickly warming Tony’s skin. Clint reached back and pulled his shirt off in a fluid motion and Tony groaned. Clint looked over and winked before he pulled his legs out from the kayak and settled them over the sides, his legs in the water as he leaned forward. Tony just about lost it when Clint leaned to the side to splash himself with water, running his hands through his hair. Because that’s exactly what Tony needed- a glistening Clint.

“So what is the plan here, Hawkeye?” Tony asked.

“Oh no, don’t call me Hawkeye like that,” Clint laughed. “That’s the Clint has done something wrong tone.” Tony sighed. “No plan, Tony. Not unless you want to make one. We are just out here to enjoy the moment.”

“Just out here to enjoy-” Tony began to say. “You dragged me to the middle of a dirty lake because we are supposed to be enjoying the moment?”

“It's a clean lake, you just aren’t used to lake water,” Clint insisted. “You have to admit- being away from everything is nice.”

Tony looked around before he watched Clint. His eyes scanned the shoreline and the surrounding woods and he appeared more content than he had looked in a long time. Clint’s hands dipped into the water idly before he picked up his paddle and moved his kayak to be close to Tony, pulling one leg back in. He set the paddle back down before he reached over and took Tony’s hand. It filled Tony with a sense of peace he couldn’t quite explain.

Tony’s mind wandered to a conversation they have had a few times now, usually post mission or when they traveled somewhere they both enjoyed. Nothing had been said definitively, neither of them even said anything other than “I can see myself retiring here”, but it was a conversation Tony knew they needed to have sooner rather than later. Tony was beginning to see a pattern to Clint’s short list of retirement places, and they were all like this- secluded, near some body of water, and quiet.

“If this is your subtle way of saying when you retire you want to move to someplace like this, you could just come out and say it,” Tony said gently. 

Clint looked over, his eyes squinting against the sun and a bright smile playing out on his face. “Hey Tones- I think this is the exact place I would like to retire at.”

“Next time you could tell me that without dragging me out to the middle of a mucky lake. What if this slime kills me? Or worse- gives me superpowers.”

Clint sat up and turned his face to the sun before he laughed. His nose did that little scrunch it does when he let loose one of his real laughs and Tony’s stomach decided to get that fluttery feeling it always got when Clint laughed the way he did.

“Whats the point of taking you to a place I enjoy if you aren’t going to hang out with me doing something I enjoy?” Clint asked, all smiles still. “Although I am going to be mad if you get superpowers and I don’t. That would honestly be rude.”

Clint leaned in his kayak to the point Tony worried it was going to flip. He leaned Tony’s kayak his way, dipping it closer to the point where it was going to flip.

“Clint, I swear if you-” Clint kissed him and swallowed up any protests Tony was going to make. Tony hesitantly removed his hands from the sides of the kayak to hold onto Clint’s face. Clint pulled away, slowly steadying Tony’s kayak for him and Tony licked his lips. “Alright, I think I can get used to doing this. For you.”


End file.
